Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Wayne State University Athletics

Carlos Paul III - 2025-26 vs. Lewis
Emily Stetz
Carlos Paul III tallied a game-high 19 points, which included 9-of-11 at the charity stripe, while dishing out a team-high three assists.
72
Wayne St. (MI) Wayne 5-6,2-3 GLIAC
81
Winner Grand Valley St. GVSU 10-3,3-2 GLIAC
Wayne St. (MI) Wayne
5-6,2-3 GLIAC
72
Final
81
Grand Valley St. GVSU
10-3,3-2 GLIAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Wayne St. (MI) Wayne 31 41 72
Grand Valley St. GVSU 36 45 81

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Men's Hoops Falls 81-72 At Grand Valley State

Paul, Boose and Briggs combine for 46 points.

ALLENDALE, Mich. - The Wayne State University men's basketball squad (5-6 overall, 2-3 GLIAC) suffered an 81-72 setback at Grand Valley State (10-3 overall, 3-2 GLIAC) Thursday evening against the Lakers who were receiving votes in this week's NABC Division 2 poll.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
WSU was scoreless for the first three minutes until junior Jotham Nweke (Oak Park, Mich. / Detroit Loyola [Macomb C.C.]) drained a triple to cut the deficit to one (4-3).  The Lakers went on a 7-2 run to lead 11-5 nearly five minutes into the contest.

The Warriors responded with an 8-0 spurt keyed by five points from junior Marshall Thorn (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth [Schoolcraft C.C.]) and a trio of points by redshirt freshman JaKobie Boose (Flint, Mich. / Hamady).  GVSU's Mason Docks ended the four-plus minute scoreless drought for the Lakers with a lay-up, but Wayne State tallied the next five points on a free throw by senior Carlos Paul III (Southfield, Mich. / Cornerstone Lincoln-King [Missouri State - West Plains]), a hook shot by redshirt junior Cooper Craggs (Northville, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central [Oakland]), and a dunk by Boose which put the guests in front 18-13.

Grand Valley State notched six of the next eight points to cut the WSU advantage to one at 20-19.  Two foul shots by Paul and a lay-up by junior Devin Belle (Lyndhurst, Ohio / Pepper Pike Orange [Lincoln Trail C.C. / Lakeland C.C.]) extended the lead to five (24-19) with 6:11 remaining before intermission.

GVSU answered with a 12-0 run as David Wilkerson hit a jumper to knot the game at 24-24, then scored five straight points to finish off the spurt giving the Lakers a 31-24 margin.  The nearly four minute stretch without a point by the Warriors ended on a jumper by Boose, but Grand Valley State's Jalen Charity followed with a lay-up to keep the seven-point deficit (33-26).

WSU ended the first half by scoring seven of the final 10 points to pull within five (36-31) at halftime.

Second Half
Twice in the first four-plus minutes of the second half the Warriors were within two (40-38 and 45-43), but each time Grand Valley State responded with a triple (first by Wilkerson, then by Ethan Alderink).

GVSU recorded eight of the next 10 points starting with Alderink's trey to grab a 53-45 advantage with just over 14 minutes remaining.  A 9-3 spurt by the Warriors, which included four points by Paul, a triple by Boose, and lay-up by sophomore Jalen Jenkins (Belleville, Mich. [Macomb C.C.]) pulled Wayne State within two at 56-54.

The Lakers extended their margin to nine (67-58) by scoring 11 of 15 points during a span of 3:15 as four different GVSU players connected on field goals.  

WSU went on a 12-4 run over the next 5:30 to make it a one-point contest (71-70) with 3:40 remaining.  Junior Jordan Briggs (Muskegon, Mich.) netted six points during the spurt, while Paul chipped in with four points and Boose made a lay-up.

A driving lay-up by Charity with 2:35 left made it 73-70 for the hosts, but Briggs answered with his own bucket with 2:08 on the clock.  Unfortunately the Warriors would not score again as the Lakers scored the final eight points to seal the victory.

TEAM STATS
Wayne State shot 46 percent (25-of-54) from the floor, but were just 5-of-23 (22 percent) from beyond the arc, which means the Warriors were 20-of-31 from two-point range.  GVSU connected on 48 percent of its field goal tries (28-of-59), including 10-of-22 (46 percent) from downtown.  Both teams attempted 21 foul shots with WSU making 17 (81 percent) and the Lakers sinking 15 (71 percent).  Grand Valley State held a 36-31 edge in rebounding in a game that featured just 18 turnovers (10 by WSU and eight by GVSU).  In all of the specialty stats, the only wide difference was in bench points as the Lakers led 37-19.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Paul tallied a game-high 19 points, which included 9-of-11 at the charity stripe, while dishing out a team-high three assists.  Boose contributed 15 points and a team-best two steals, while Briggs chipped in with 12 points.  Thorn, Nweke and Paul each grabbed five boards.

LEADING THE LAKERS
Wilkerson registered a team-best 17 points, which included 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.  Trevor Smith, Jr. added 15 points and game-high totals of six assists and three steals, while Alderink posted 15 points and tied Shamus Thompson for game-best in rebounds with seven boards each.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will conclude its four-game road trip with a 3 p.m. tip-off at Saturday at Davenport.
 
Print Friendly Version